It's hard to fault Bachhuber and Hildebran for being optimistic this season after what they accomplished a year ago.

Last year, after finishing second in doubles competition at the Pacific Conference district tournament, the Tualatin duo advanced all the way to the quarterfinal round of the Class 6A state tournament.

On their way to the quarterfinals, they scored a 6-4, 6-3 win over the No. 3-seeded team of Sam Ruffe and Natalie Ruffe from North Medford.

'We got to the quarterfinals last year. The semifinals sound good for this year,' Bachhuber said with a smile. 'Last year, we were just happy to make it there.'

'We're hoping for more now,' Hildebran added.

And, as was the case last year, Bachhuber and Hildebran are hoping for continued improvement as the season goes on.

With the win, Tualatin moved to 6-0 in Pacific Conference matches in its quest to win an eighth-straight league title. The Tigers fell to 0-5 in league play.

On Friday and Saturday, Tualatin played in the North-South Invitational, an 11-team tourney held at North Medford High School. The Wolves placed third at the event, beating Lincoln 6-2 in the third-place match.

The Tigers and Wolves were both rained out of their scheduled league matches on Tuesday.